Women’s cross country has new champ
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and you?re in tuned with Sports Monday. The fifteenth annual female Cross Country Classic ran for some sixty-five miles from Santa Elena, Cayo to Belize City in a monster package on the Western Highway yesterday.
For sure, the early morning sights and sounds are indeed quite distinct from those of the Holy Saturday edition and we are certainly impressed by the massive support give to these top flight female athletes.
And they?re off from the Santa Elena start, some fifteen riders strong. Folks, we?re not even three minutes into the ride when Valorie Prince suffers a severe spill and has to be stretchered off the road.
When the pelaton reaches Roaring Creek, it?s Shalini Zabaneh in command of the preemie.
Marinett Flowers steps up to take the station prize at mile thirty-nine, while at mile thirty-six, it?s Fiona who steps up to the pace.
However, at mile twenty-seven Anthea Sutherland makes the biggest move in her career so far. She grabs the station prize while executing the perfect break.
When she passes the mile post that says seventeen, Anthea Sutherland is in control of things. And at mile eight, it?s still the Anthea Sutherland show, and absolutely nobody would catch her before her arrival at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex.
Inside the stadium, it is the solitary figure of Sutherland that dominates the landscape.
The chase bunch has now arrived, but their competition will only be for second place, because Anthea Sutherland writes her name into the history books with an unchallenged win to grab her first Cross Country title and we can only marvel at this massive accomplishment by a thirty-eight year old woman with three children.
In the race for second place, another newcomer, Gabrielle Lovell shows promise with this blistering finish which forces Alicia Thompson into third, Marinett Flowers finishes fourth, while Amelita Knowles rounds out the top five.
Anthea Sutherland, 2005 Female Cross Country Champ
?When I took a look back I saw the crowd a little bit back, so I said I was going to go for it. That was my reason. I?m a good pacer and once I move I?ll stay at the front. Actually this year I trained very hard, harder than last year and Mr. Stans Bowman gave us our schedule, how we should train, when to rest, when not to rest and we use that and in the race I used that too.?
Gabrielle Lovell, Second Place
?Anything that I do is because I like it. If I do not like something I won?t do it. I think that?s the reason why I did so well. Rumours have it that I?m a good pacer, a sprinter…?
Terry Gordon, Love FM
?So you think you have a good future in the sport like your sister??
Gabrielle Lovell
?Yes, I believe so.?
Now let?s head to Sugar City Orange Walk where the Regent?s Cup found Juventus hosting the San Pedro Seahawks in week one of the four-team B.P.F.L. playoffs.
The home team gets the first scoring opportunity when this feed off the right wing finds, Christopher Hendricks but he fails to convert.
Juventus looks very dangerous in the early goings and could have taken the lead off this left foot shot that goes astray.
Folks, we switch to the other side of the field and again the Juventus forward fails to convert, especially in a one on one situation.
On this press, Harrison Roaches gets an open look at goal, but he launches a high riser.
At the other end, San Pedro finally gets a chance at goal when Deon Frazier centres to Landi Pinelo, but the Juventus defence stands firm. At the half we?ve got a scoreless ballgame.
In second half, the Seahawks gets more offensive-minded so Deon Frazier deals to Julio ?El Matador? Valle, but Charlie Slusher intervenes.
We?re still in early second half when Jarbi Alvarez finds Deon Frazier who unleashes this bouncer in traffic that beats Charlie Slusher to give the Seahawks a 1-zip lead.
A few minutes later, Kevin Pelayo gets this chance to equalise for Orange Walk, but he absolutely squanders the opportunity.
Folks, it?s getting late in the ballgame when Donnie Tun launches this floater from a most improbable angle–William Johnson inexperience in goal is exposed and we have a tied ballgame at the end of regulation.
However, this is the playoffs. Somebody?s got to win and somebody?s got to lose, so we go to overtime which leads us to penalty kicks for a final result.
The first penalty kick comes from San Pedro courtesy of Orland Lyons who fails to convert. However, this policeman certainly has no business on the field during the kicks and he referee is definitely at fault for giving San Pedro something to protest about.
The next athlete to step up is Charlie Slusher whose shot is stopped by William Johnson–and officer you?re an official of the law and not of this match, okay. More importantly, Slusher is allowed to re-launch his kick which scores this time.
Juventus goes on to win 4-2 on penalty kicks, but as expected the San Pedro has launched a strong protest and we?ll keep you posted.
In the other match up over the weekend, Sagitun at Independence also won on penalty kicks after a 2-2 overtime finish against the Calcutta Bulls.
Thus after week one of the playoffs, Sagitun and Juventus show three points apiece, while San Pedro and the Bulls have none. This Sunday will find Calcutta Bulls hosting Juventus at the Calcutta Field, while Sagitun heads to San Pedro for a date with the Seahawks.
Of course folks, we?ll keep our eyes on this protest by San Pedro to see where the three points will eventually wind up. That?s it for now, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I?m James Adderley.
